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Essential jobs: Opportunities in the utilities infrastructure

Essential service is a phrase that has become very familiar during the COVID-19 pandemic. One of those services is the maintenance and running of the country’s utility infrastructure.

James Simpson, Manager of Military Talent Acquisition for Pike, says, “The company is a family of companies in the utility, construction, and maintenance industry, as well as engineering.” Simpson notes the utility field is currently a growing industry.

He says, “As the older workforce ages out, there’s been a gap of a couple generations coming into the field. There’s a lot of openings coming up and the best way to fill those is to get into the industry now at the entry-level.”

Simpson says veterans are great hires for the utility company. He says people with military experience are ready to work, and understand the hierarchy, even if they don’t yet have the infrastructure knowledge.

“Pike is considered an essential business because we’re maintaining the electrical infrastructure for the nation. We’re one of the biggest electrical constructors in the Southeastern United States,” Simpson adds.

“It’s important to remain fully staffed during a pandemic like this, because without crews to maintain and repair the infrastructure, our electricity could be potentially turned off until further notice.”

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MISSION

We tell stories about solutions to the jobs skills gap that is threatening to disrupt our economy. We are raising this critical issue to the level of a national discussion to reach people and entities that can effect change, to connect the dots for companies and communities looking for solutions to their own workforce issues, and to identify for workers and job seekers where the jobs of the future will be.